What is a sofa table?

A sofa table is a small, versatile table designed with drop flaps on either side and usually featuring drawers beneath the top. They were originally built to stand immediately behind a sofa in a formal drawing room during the Regency and Georgian periods.

How do I spot crossbanding?

Crossbanding appears as a distinct border around the edges of a table top or drawer front where the grain runs at right angles to the central panel. Cabinetmakers used this method to frame the primary timber and add decorative contrast using woods like rosewood or satinwood.

Can I use one freestanding?

These tables are traditionally finished on all sides precisely so they can stand away from walls in the middle of a room. Their polished backs and refined end supports make them suitable for central placement behind seating or within a library.

How do I tell the periods apart?

Eighteenth-century and Georgian examples often display simpler lines and heavier timber proportions, whereas Regency pieces introduce bolder brass inlays and exotic woods. Edwardian revivals, appearing around nineteen-ten, tend to show lighter construction methods and paler mahogany figures.